Colorado-Medical-Marijuana-Blog

Although the state of Colorado has made it legal for adults to possess one ounce or less of marijuana, the individual cities and counties in Colorado are not so keen on following suit. Erie, Lafayette, Superior and Broomfield are all in the process of constructing their own individual laws regarding the drug. Currently, the town of Erie disallows medical marijuana dispensaries in town and officials for Erie, Superior and Lafayette are planning to prepare an ordinance banning retail marijuana stores within town limits. The city of Broomfield plans to vote January 22nd on a first reading of an ordinance temporarily banning marijuana related businesses through 2014 and as of this time, medical marijuana businesses are not allowed within the city limits. Although President Obama stated that the federal government would not be prosecuting individuals in Colorado who are found to possess one ounce or less, law enforcement will still be on the lookout for those driving under the influence.

Although Amendment 64, the bill proposing to legalize marijuana in small amounts to adults appears to be beneficial on the outside, many dispensary owners fear a backlash of problems the Amendment will create should it be passed. Dispensary owners fear that if marijuana should become legal, many dispensaries will open that would not require people to have as medical marijuana card, making it much easier for people to purchase marijuana and therefore circumvent the need for medical marijuana dispensaries all together. There are still a few who hold out hope that the Obama administration will change its mind about marijuana legalization if Obama is reelected, but should Romney be elected, he has already made it clear that he will fight the marijuana legalization efforts tooth and nail.

As the subject of medical marijuana in Colorado gains momentum, political figures are finding it more difficult to walk both sides of the fence and are being forced to choose a platform of either being pro medical marijuana or being against it and risk losing votes either way. President Obama is finding his stance on the subject particularly precarious as he is forced to comply with federal laws and back them without compromise. Although the state of Colorado has passed a law making medical marijuana possession legal, marijuana is still considered an illegal substance, punishable under federal laws. President Obama had made an earlier statement on the subject, saying they were not going to prioritize prosecutions of people using the drug. However, this statement preceded action by the U.S. District Attorney’s office to shut down 47 dispensaries in the state of Colorado. Some believe this goes against what President Obama promised in the beginning and these actions may hurt his chances for obtaining votes in the state.

During President Obama’s recent visit to Colorado, medical marijuana advocates turned out to voice their concerns regarding the federal government’s recent activities in shutting down many of Colorado’s medical marijuana businesses in Boulder, Colorado. The businesses were warned by U.S. Attorney John Walsh that they were within the 1,000 foot limit of schools and were ordered to move or be shut down. Many of the businesses shut down after the warning and supporters of medical marijuana in Colorado believe this effort by the government has had a detrimental effect on Colorado’s economy, potentially costing the state over1,000 jobs just as the state is struggling to recover from a recession. Advocates for medical marijuana in Colorado are asking the President to commit to protecting these jobs just as he would protect the jobs of any other industry, citing that medical marijuana is a legitimate business and should receive the same treatment as other businesses in the state.

If celebrities in the U.S. get their
way, Colorado medical marijuana growers could possibly see a boost in
sales. Pushing for marijuana legalization is Mexican singer and
guitar player Carlos Santana, who stated that legalization of the
drug would offer more opportunities for the country to divert funds
currently used to prevent marijuana use to more needy programs such
as teachers and education. During a recent online town hall meeting,
President Obama said he did not think the legalization of marijuana
was good economic policy. Celebrities such as Santana continue to
advocate for the drug’s legalization in the country.

Although medical marijuana in Colorado
and some other states has been legalized, basic marijuana use across
the country continues to remain illegal. At a recent online town hall
meeting held at the White House, President Obama responded to
questions regarding the overall legalization of marijuana.

President
Obama’s reply, while jovial, was that legalization of the drug was
not a good economic strategy would probably not be useful in turning
the economy around. Marijuana legalization was a very small portion
of the overall discussion which included universal healthcare,
mortgages, education, the auto industry and veteran’s care. The
President hopes to hold more of these online town hall type
discussions in the future.